Drivers distracted by social media, group texts

While many South Carolina motorists know how dangerous it is to text while driving, they continue to engage in the practice. Despite widespread public campaigns and law enforcement efforts to clamp down on distracted driving, people continue to surf, email, and text while behind the wheel. Studies have shown on multiple occasions that people recognize why the behavior is dangerous but tend to judge other drivers much more harshly than they do their own conduct. These findings came up once more in an online study of 2,000 drivers analyzed by one car insurance company.

About half of the participants said that distracted driving was their greatest fear in terms of roadway safety. At the same time, the participants admitted to spending around 13 minutes a day on average using their phones while operating a motor vehicle. While 89 percent of the respondents said that they would give a poor review to a ride-sharing service driver who sent texts while behind the wheel, 39 percent said that they regularly engaged in the practice themselves. While talking on the phone can be a major distraction, activities like texting can also take a driver’s eyes off the road and hands off the wheel.

Many of the most distracting items drivers cited to draw their attention away on the road were also some of the most dangerous. Over half of the respondents said that group texts and chats were likely to engage them while behind the wheel, while 18 percent said that they were drawn to watch streaming video content.

Distracted driving is linked to thousands of car accidents each year, often resulting in catastrophic injuries. People who have been injured in a crash caused by someone else’s negligence can seek out a personal injury lawyer to pursue compensation for their losses.